Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Mud volcanoes (mud geysers) are a very rare geological phenomenon. They say that there are even fewer of them on our planet than lava ones, but we didn't count them ourselves, so we rely on the opinion of experts.
One of the largest clusters of mud volcanoes is located six kilometers from Kerch, these are the "Bulganak mud volcanoes" also known as the "Moon Valley". Here, a whole series of large and many small volcanoes periodically spit out mud from depths of 6-9 kilometers. The largest volcano is Andrusova Sopka, as well as the large hills of Pavlov, Vernandsky, Tishchenko. You can't see an "eruption" at any time, and sometimes you have to wait. And sometimes tourists leave without seeing mud lava flows at all. But still, this place is worth a visit, especially if you find yourself here on your own transport.
It is believed that the mud from these volcanoes has healing properties, as well as mud volcanoes on the Taman peninsula in the Krasnodar Territory. Of course, it is not used inside, but used externally, i.e. smeared on the skin in the area of diseased joints, on problem areas of the skin. It is not recommended to apply it on the head, face and neck. If you decide to self-medicate here, then carefully monitor your condition (pressure may rise, dizziness may begin) and follow at least such simple rules:
- Do not apply too much dirt and too large an area of the skin. It is better to start with small areas, such as the joints, and follow the reaction of the body.
- Don't hold dirt for too long. Usually 10-15 minutes is enough for the procedure.
The bulk of the volcanoes are located relatively compactly on an area of about 1 square kilometer, you can walk between them, there are also rolled dirt roads. But be careful when visiting: it is better to put on rubber boots or, on the contrary, take off your shoes completely. The fact is that here you can easily fall knee-deep into the mud, which is hidden under a thin dried crust on top. In the history of this place, there are also deaths when people fell through and drowned in the mud. And during the Great Patriotic War, a whole tank with a crew went under the mud here. So be careful driving around the neighborhood by car.
Another danger that cannot be ignored is ticks. There are a lot of ticks in the fields around volcanoes! It is not "a lot", but "a lot". For example, we "collected" them here for clothes and shoes even in the middle of summer, and then we also found them in the car. So after a walk, do yourself and mutual inspection.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The valley of volcanoes is located six kilometers from Kerch near the village of Bondarenkovo (mud volcanoes on the map). It is best to get here by your own transport or bicycle (but the road here is dirt). There are several dirt roads leading directly to the hills, all of them are marked on Yandex, Google maps and on maps in Organic Maps applications, Maps.me The situation with these dirt roads varies by season and weather. So you will have to choose the most suitable route on the spot, but in our opinion the most reliable and safest option is to drive along Stepnaya Street in the village of Bondarenko towards the field, pass the treatment facilities (they will be to your right), and then walk to the volcanoes. You can also take a commuter bus to the village of Bondarenko from the Kerch bus station, and then walk 4 kilometers. But buses run only 2-3 times a day.
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Crimea with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites: